Developer: Robinson Technologies, Hamumu Software
Publisher: Ubisoft, Robinson Technologies
Platforms: Android, iOS, Mac, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Tested on: PS4
Growtopia – Review
Human’s fantasy and the offspring of these ideas have already made this world a better place, but sometimes people just want to have fun in their own little world where they can fool around and make something silly. Or perhaps they opt for something grandiose, why not? Growtopia is a sandbox game where you can go nuts and make whatever you want. A game that already existed for a long time on mobile devices but now it’s making its way to consoles. If this was a great idea is another question though.
Story
The purpose of Growtopia is that you make your own story. There is nothing predefined, your fantasy is your narrator. Whatever you can imagine, whatever pops in your mind, you can use this to create your own little world. For people that like to have some structure and love to follow a predefined storyline, you’ll probably don’t want to pick up this title.
Graphics
If you were hoping for some dashing graphics, you’ll be barking up the wrong tree. Everything looks like old-school games and although there are quite some colors splashing from your screen, the pixels are so too. The characters are really simple and although you can alter their appearance, it still stays plain. The same can be said for the environments, even though lava-sprouting trees are a sight to see. Of course, depending on how you decorate the place, it can be beautiful or exciting but the game itself doesn’t spark much excitement.
Sound
Just like the graphics, there isn’t much to see on this facet of the game either. There are some sound effects you can hear from the start, but it’s rather old-school and annoying to listen to. Depending on the items you get or the worlds you visit, you’ll hear music or other ambiance around you but it won’t make you that happy either. Some of the songs people picked are really high-pitched, making you turn down the volume immediately while others are doable but just sound outdated.
Gameplay
Growtopia is a sandbox game where you can create your own world with different types of goods or items … from trees. You can make your own place in the universe, where you can dig or build whatever and wherever, which will give you some seeds or other goods. Afterward, you can sow these again and go for some new soil or other goods from the fruits of the trees. Harvesting might also grant you some other items when you’re lucky, so keep an eye on that as well. To get the results, you will have to beat the living crap out of the sapling, which is actually the case for almost everything in the game. Obtaining some materials, it’s possible to cook or even create your own clothing.
Some actions will give you gems, which is rather valuable if you want to progress the game and get new items or seeds. In the shop, you can find a variety of goods, waiting to be bought by you. Afterwards, you can use those new items or try to splice it with stuff you already have in your bag while growing your trees. Truth be told, it is funny to see different trees filled with different kinds of materials. Of course, you can’t just grow goods, but it’s also possible to have some pets for example or get some new hairstyle or clothing.
Growtopia is an MMO game so you’ll be meeting a lot of people on the servers. This means there is the possibility to trade, chat, make friends and visit worlds from other Growtopians. Some of these utopias are sealed off, meaning you need access before you can see the beauty this world has to offer, while others are free to visit. For example, there is a world made by the developers to give you some ideas and FAQs, showing off what the game has to offer. Other than that, it seems that you can earn Growtokens by doing some quests or life goals, but for that it seems you need to do a lot of other steps before you’re even there. Which isn’t explained anywhere either.
Although there is a short tutorial at the beginning of the game, you might feel lost after you’ve gone through all the steps. You get the basics, but that’s it. Earning gems, some cool worlds you can visit, where or how you can get new seeds or items, how to get in contact with some of the NPCs, it’s all stuff you need to discover on your own and it might be that you give up sooner rather than later. The controls certainly don’t help. The bindings on the PS4 feel unnatural and some of the actions are rather clunky or don’t work that well at all. It might work well on a computer or mobile but it feels tedious on a console.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a different kind of Minecraft, where you can get goods from trees, be sure to check Growtopia. Although the game exists for quite a while already, the move to consoles was maybe a tad too late. The graphics feel old and bland while the sound isn’t that spectacular either. Control wise, the game feels clunky on the PS4 and if you don’t invest some time trying to get to know some of the mechanics of the game, you’ll be ditching this one faster than you can see one of the trees grow.
Growtopia - Review,
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